My New Adventure

I have decided to undertake a new adventure that I have been dreaming about for a long time. I have always had a passion for photography and treasure all of the moments I have captured from high school, college, my family, and especially my kids. I have finally decided that I could probably be pretty good at it and even make some money.

Two weeks ago I bought my first professional digital SLR camera. I got a Canon EOS 30D and so far I'm loving it!! I have yet to figure out how to actually work all of the settings but will hopefully get it down soon. I am reading the manual as well as another book I bought specifically about this camera. I am also planning to take a few classes through Collin County Community College's Continuing Education programs. I took one of their classes earlier this year for a basic point and shoot camera and enjoyed it.

I have been extremely blessed in the fact that one of my good friends, who is a photographer, has taken me under her wing. Sharon with Brannick Photography is a great photographer and has taken all of our family's pictures since Preston was born. I will be forever grateful for all she is helping me with.

Also, Ken Birdsell, with The Image After, as been an awesome help. He has been in the photography business for a long time and is full of knowledge. I know with Sharon and Ken's help I will be sucsessfull!

John has been such a great supporting husband in this journey. He is so encouraging and is just as excited about it as I am. He motivates me to learn all I can and is truly my number one supporter. I couldn't ask for a better husband!!

I am very nervous as I have never started anything like this and it can be very overwhelming. I am starting a separate blog just for my photography. I will hopefully start posting to it soon as I am learning and getting things off the ground.

Pregnancy Bumps

Along with finding out we are having another boy last week, they also found that Baby has an Isolated Choroid Plexus Cyst. It isn't uncommon to have and it should clear up on its own. I spoke to my pediatrician about it and he agreed that it isn't really anything to worry about as long as it resolves itself before birth. He said that it doesn't effect his brain development at all and if it doesn't go away before birth he will refer me to a neurosurgeon to follow it. I am scheduled to have another sono in 7 more weeks to check the status. I am confident that it isn't anything to worry about but will be relieved to see it gone!

I have also started having contractions constantly. I went to the doctor yesterday to check on it and everything looks great. He doesn't know why I am having so many so early. He gave me a medication that is supposed to calm my uterus and hopefully stop them or at least make them livable. Right now they are very painful. Fortunately, they aren't causing anything to change. It worries me though. I don't want to have another preemie! I am trying to take it as easy as possible while having a three year old and a nine month old.

It's A Boy!

We confirmed last week that we are having our third boy! We are very excited to add another boy to the mix especially since they will all be so close in age. As of right now, we are going to move Preston into Carter's room and Baby will take over the nursery. It should be interesting considering how light of a sleeper Preston is. I can't even go into Preston's room to check on him without waking him up. I am hoping he will get used to the change fairly quickly.

Baby's Boy Parts :)




Baby's Profile

He haven't chosen a name yet. I have had a girl's name picked out since I was little and wouldn't you know it, I would never get that little girl. We have been having a difficult time coming up with boy names. We have it narrowed down but haven't finalized it yet. Carter is dead set on naming him Emerson. We still don't know where he came up with that name but I don't think we are naming him that.

Carter is very aware of the baby and hugs and kisses my belly almost everyday. He has already added him to his nightly prayers. It is very sweet. All Preston knows is that my belly is getting big and his legs barely fit around my growing belly! :)

Playing at the Park

We have had the best weather this week. I wish it could be like this all year long!! After dinner on Wednesday evening we went for a walk to our neighborhood park.



He doesn't go anywhere without his shades!! When we got back home he asked to put his sunglasses back in the car so they were there when he left the house next time.

A Day at the Zoo

Since the weather has been so nice here this week I dediced that it would be fun to take the boys to the Fort Worth Zoo on Monday. I was going to take them all by myself but John decided to go with us. We had a lot of fun!! I let Carter decide what we were going to see first and he immediately wanted to go feed the birds. We took the double stroller just in case but we are trying to teach Carter to walk since in about 6 months he won't have much of a choice. He did such a good job!! I can't believe how fast he is growing up. Preston was such a trooper too! He was more interested in the people than the animals but he had a great time.

Baby #3!!!

We have been blessed (surprised) with our third and final baby!! We were planning on having a third but our plan was to wait until Carter was in school and Preston would have been 3. God's plan was for Carter to be 3 and Preston to be 13 months. We are very excited and already making plans for our new addition. As of today I am 9 weeks 1 day. The due date is set for September 21, 2009, John's birthday. I haven't made it to term yet so I am just assuming that this one will be a couple of weeks early too. Carter has been telling us that it is a girl and we are going to name her Emerson. If we do have a girl we are probably going to name her Lillian Elizabeth which is my great grandmothers name and we would call her Lilly. Not sure what we will name a boy. I am experiencing morning sickness which I haven't ever really experienced. Maybe that means it is a girl!!! We wouldn't have to worry about her dating with two older brothers!!

Our Trip to San Diego

We just got back this weekend from our trip to San Diego. We all had so much fun and both boys were very good. The flights were so easy!!! We borrowed a portable DVD player so Carter watched Dora on both flights and was so content. He even fell asleep curled up in a little ball in his seat on the way home. Preston was a great traveler!! I had him in my Maya wrap and he fell asleep for three quarters of the flight each way. You would have never known that there was a two year old and a 4 month old on that flight!


We stayed with John's sister, Shannon, and her family, Marc, Ethan, Dylan and Hannah. It was so good to see them since we only get to see them twice a year - Thanksgiving and Christmas. This was such a special Thanksgiving as we had two new babies. Hannah is so adorable!! Shannon was so brave to have all of us stay in her home only two weeks after having her.

Baby Hannah





On Monday, we went to the happiest place on earth -- Disneyland!!!! It was so much fun and Carter especially loved it. He got to meet Mickey Mouse and tour his house. On our way out of his house, he looked up to me and said, "Mommy, Carter no want to live with Mickey." He was so cute. Grandma also bought Carter his first set of Mickey ear's. It was so neat to see such a magical place and to watch your children see it for the first time made it so much more special.



Carter and Mickey



The whole Fam!






Grandma giving Carter his Mickey Ear's!


Tuesday we headed to Sea World. Carter has been talking about Shamu since our last trip to Sea World last year. We got to see all of the major shows - Shamu, the sea lion and the dolphins. I could do Sea World every year! It is so amazing that they are able to train those animals like that. Oh, and we also got to see a polar bear catch a fish.


Shamu


Clydesdale



On Wednesday we all got dressed and went to the Picture People and had our annual family picture taken. It is always an experience to get everyone there and posed. Luckily, we had one picture that turned out really well. It is so neat to look at past years' pictures and compare them.


Then we celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday. Marc bbqed a very good turkey and Beckie and Shannon did such a great job with the rest of dinner. Everything was delicious!!! That night we went to Hotel Del on Coronado. It is such a beautiful hotel right on the beach with an ice skating rink outside!!

The boys lounging after Turkey Dinner


The week went by so fast but we had such a good time. We are now looking forward to the Clark's coming to Dallas for Christmas. I only wish we had the fun things to do like San Diego.